Museums and cultural facilities across Berlin hosted the third annual Long Night of Ideas (Lange Nacht der Ideen) event, with institutions from the Museum of Islamic Art to the Silent Green culture center all opening their doors for free live music, exhibitions and public talks.

Organizers decided to look at open societies against the backdrop of increasing populism as the main theme of this year's edition of the event. Sponsored by the Foreign Ministry and its partners such as the Goethe-Institut, the Humboldt Forum and the Barenboim-Said Academy, the Long Night of Ideas examined questions like what contributions cultural institutions can make to counter growing criticism of the European Union, and how freedom of speech and art can better be preserved in places where creative voices are often silenced by populist leaders.